There's a great disturbance in the gaming world, as Disney has stopped game development at LucasArts, putting all its current projects on ice.

Millions of gamers' voices will suddenly cry out in terror at the news, which sees the studio behind classics like The Secret of Monkey Island, Grim Fandango and X-Wing hang up its development hat.

The LucasArts name may not die out completely, as Disney will be licensing the studio's games, Wired reports. In terms of making new games however, LucasArts' time is done, and has made significant layoffs across the board.

Development on both Star Wars 1313 and Star Wars: First Assault has been halted, though a source 'with knowledge of the decision' told CNET that neither game is being fully shut down.

Star Wars 1313 looked particularly tempting, and earned itself a spot in our 'Most exciting games and gadgets of E3 2012' rundown. The game was set to put you in the metal boots of a bounty hunter on Coruscant, blasting your way through a hive of scum and villainy, and it looked eye-bleedingly gorgeous.

It's a shame to see the studio's creative side die out, and it's certainly grim to see developers facing layoffs. Disney took control of LucasArts when it bought Lucasfilm last year, and confirmed that it would be cooking up a number of new Star Wars films. Since that acquisition, Mickey and pals have also cancelled the animated Clone Wars cartoon.

Are you sad to see LucasArts go? Do you have fond memories of the studio's games, and do you think Disney will do a good job with Star Wars?

About the author

Luke Westaway is a senior editor at CNET and writer/ presenter of Adventures in Tech, a thrilling gadget show produced in our London office. Luke's focus is on keeping you in the loop with a mix of video, features, expert opinion and analysis.
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